Our first stop was at ABWE, which is property of the three guesthouses where we stayed. The guesthouses are run by a Baptist mission organization here in Gambia and serves as a get away for missionaries serving here in Gambia. They have missionaries that serve throughout the country who always get first dibs, but if the guesthouses are free, then other missionaries can also enjoy it's commodities for 325 dalasi, or about 13 U.S. dollars a night. Unlike our homes, the guesthouses have air conditioning, hot water, satellite television, VCR, DVD player and even a bathtub!
living room
television, satellite box, VCR and DVD player
kitchen/dining room
my bedroom, it is a child's room but they gave us the only house with three rooms so we could each have our own
the bathtub!
possibly my favorite part of the stay, the hot water heater!
...and our 11 pieces of pepperoni for our pizza! Pepperoni is very expensive here so this was a treat, we paid 25 dalasi for these 11 pieces!
We stopped in briefly, dropped our things, left our laundry to be washed in a washing machine for 50 dalasi, about 2 dollars, and then we headed off for a relaxing day at the pool. The pool is at a hotel, but is open for public use for 50 dalasi per person, roughly 2 dollars. We cooled off at the pool for awhile, escaping the 100* plus temperatures for a couple of hours, enjoyed lunch and then headed back to ABWE.
We then made homemade pizza and while it cooked had an amazing discussion on hearing God's voice which is a struggle for all of us, some times more than others, but still all of the none the less. We followed a study guide that Lori had found online which opened up some great discussion that helped us to get to know each other just a little bit better, but also gave us a chance to reconnect as Christian women trying to live lives that are pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we enjoyed our pizza and a movie and headed off to bed in our air conditioned bed rooms.
The next day we planned nothing but a day of rest. Lori and I had a 75 minute massage from a Christian Nigerian massage therapist for about 18 U.S. dollars when in the U.S. the cost would have been anywhere from $50-$100! The rest of the day was spent reading, praying and even enjoying some world news and other American shows on the television.
Sunday we went to the ABWE church for a change of the norm, then went back to ABWE to pack up, rest for a little while longer and then head home. It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend away from the dust and heat, but it was nice to get back to my husband who was so supportive in my going away for the weekend.
Praises:
-We have finished language study and can now speak 1 1/2 new languages!
-We now have our alien cards, residency permits and we may be getting licenses soon
-We will be beginning our youth ministry the first week of April
Prayer requests;
-That we will be in tune with God as we begin our youth ministry and that it will be a fruitful for both the youth and us
-For the wife of the director of MEHDA in Pirang who lost her mother last week and the funeral was on Monday
-For our EMM prayer retreat that we will be having this Thursday-Saturday-The dogs that live here at Methodist Mission may be being sent away quite soon, so we ask for prayer at we may have to let them go even though we've grown quite attached to them
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